News

The New Hampshire Humanities Council's Connections adult literacy program received a $25,000 grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, also based out of Concord. The grant will fund four-part book discussion series for adult new readers and English language learners.

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The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation in Concord announced recent grant awards of about $6.4 million. More than one-third of the total went to health, human services and basic needs throughout out the state. "Our grants this quarter reflect the tough times our communities are facing; with 37 percent of the total awarded to programs that provide health and human services or address basic human needs, " said Katie Merrow, vice president of the program department. More than half of the award dollars from the quarter, roughly $3.6 million, were directed by donors through donor advised funds. The Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund's competitive grants accounted for about $1 million of the quarter's total. Approximately $1.8 million in grants were awarded through the general application cycle, a competitive process that happens twice a year. The following summarizes the most recent of this competitive grant activity (each with one example), totaling 145 awards. A complete list of grantees is available at www.nhcf.org. Spring applications, available at the same Web site, are due Monday, March 1 (express proposals) and Thursday, April 1 for community impact proposals.

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Easter Seals New Hampshire's Veterans Count program received $25,000 from the Walmart Foundation State Giving Program. The money will be used to bridge a financial gap when all other sources have been exhausted. Veterans Count is a collaboration among Easter Seals, the NH Department of Health and Human Services and the NH National Guard.
In the next 18 months, about 1,800 NH service people are slated to deploy.

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Brookstone Builders, Inc., a construction management firm in Manchester, announced it completed a building renovation project for the State of NH's Department of Transportation. The work involved the renovation of a former hardware store in Windham. The 4,000-square-foot store was replaced with office, conference room and laboratory space, which will be used by D.O.T. engineers and management teams during the I-93 rebuilding project. This project was awarded as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

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Red Hill Insurance Agency LLC in Wilton is now representing Mt. Washington Assurance Corporation, a member of The Plymouth Rock Group of Companies, which writes and manages more than $1 billion in auto and homeowner's insurance across the Northeast and is based in Concord.

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The University of New Hampshire in Durham launched a graduate program in sustainable politics and policy that allows any graduate student to gain a specialization and certificate in the discipline. The new program started accepting students this past month. "Training and analysis on issues that connect environmental and social sustainability, politics and policymaking initiatives are becoming increasingly valuable for building careers in the public sector, nonprofit organizations and the private sector for both small and large companies," said Stacy VanDeveer, associate professor of political science and coordinator of the new graduate program.

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Robin and Steve Boivin have combined their individual CPA firms, forming Boivin & Associates Certified Public Accountants PLLC. Located in Merrimack, the firm also recently acquired the tax practice of Lizotte and Spagnuolo, CPA P.C. in Bedford.

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Geotechnical engineer Trey Dykstra has joined the Auburn office of engineering and design firm Stantec. Dykstra will help lead the company's environmental remediation and infrastructure projects throughout New England. Dykstra previously worked at Terracon Consultants in Manchester and the State of NH's Transportation and Environmental Services in Concord.

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Settlers' Crossing developers in North Conway received LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building Council for the LL Bean Outlet, also located in North Conway. The $1.6 million dollar building is among the first projects certified under the USGBC's LEED for Retail Pilot Program, which recognizes the unique nature of retail environments within the sustainable building movement.

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The State Street branch of Ocean Bank in Portsmouth conducted a fundraiser for A Safe Place/Lake County Crisis Center. Ocean Bank employees purchased gas and grocery gift cards to donate to the A Safe Place. Ocean Bank also made a cash contribution. The combined total was $3,100.

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Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank in Woodsville was recognized by the NH SBA as ‘Outstanding Overall' business lender for 2009.

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The board of directors for Dover's Federal Savings Bank voted Attorney James Schulte as its 2010 chairman of the board and Patricia Barbour as vice chairman. The board also elected Edward Lemos, VMD, and James J. O'Neill, Jr. for additional three-year terms and Peter Hamblett for an additional two-year term. New member Arthur Nickless, president of Norway Plains Associates, Inc., was appointed to a three-year term.

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Scott Knightly, president and owner of EnviroVantage in Epping, was appointed first vice chair of the Associated Builders and Contractors NH/VT chapter, based in Concord.

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Trish Anderson-Soule, former owner of the Anderson-Soule Gallery in Concord, is now partnering with the Mill Brook Gallery and Sculpture, Concord, as an art consultant.

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Amica Mutual Insurance Company, headquartered in Lincoln, Rhode Island, announced that its Amica Companies Foundation issued the first installment of a $15,000 grant to the Teen Center and Clubhouse Improvements Project at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua. A second and third check, also for $5,000, will be issued during January 2011 and January 2012.

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Bernstein Shur in Manchester announced today that attorney Jay S. Geller was selected a 2010 BTI Client Service All-Star. Geller was selected for his service to one of the firm's Fortune 1000 clients.

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InkSpot, a cartridge refilling business, has opened a new location in Nashua. The company already has locations in Rochester, Epping, Peterborough, Keene, Derry, Manchester,
and Oceanside, CA.

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The board of directors for the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute elected Jeffrey McLynch as its new executive director. McLynch was most recently employed as the state policy director for the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

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Granite State College in Concord announced the promotion of Kevin Piotrowski to director of financial aid. Piotrowski had been working in the departrment since 2006.

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William Gillett was named dean for Southern New Hampshire University's School of Business effective June 1. Gillett most recently served as president for RiverStone Resources LLC and its affiliated companies, based out of Manchester.

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